Saturday April 01, 2017

Google actually did this back in 2015, but I think it’s still more amusing than all of the crap that has littered the web for April Fools’ so far. If you hit up Google Maps, you’ll find a Pac-Man button in the left corner that will turn your map into a playable level. It only seems to work for dense areas that feature a lot of roads, however.

To find Ms. Pac-Man, open up your Google Maps app and click on the pink button on the right. Unlike the Pac-Man integration from 2015’s prank, it doesn’t turn your current location into the game level. Instead, you’re taken to a random spot in the world and get five lives to outrun the ghosts. (Edit: some users are reporting that the iOS version lets you pick the map, while Android takes you to randomized spots.) If you prefer to choose your own location in Google Maps to turn into a Ms. Pac-Man game, the web version does appear to support pick-your-own levels (though clicking the button just takes me to a zoomed in version of the current map view, so maybe Google is waiting to roll out the game when it’s officially April 1st in most parts of the world.)